Philippine government places 158 more caves under protection from treasure looters

Sagada Cave

Hidden wonders may yet lurk in these caves.

More than 150 natural caves across the Philippines have been placed under varying degrees of protection from treasure hunters, polluters and vandals, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.

The agency has released a new list of 158 caves it has classified for conservation, bringing to 234 the number of caves whose natural wealth and resources have been placed under the protection and management of the government.

"Caves are natural, nonrenewable resources that are of tremendous value to man, whether scientific, economic, cultural, historical or aesthetic," Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said in a statement.

"Yet they are also in constant threat from destructive human activities like vandalism, treasure hunting, pollution and illegal extraction of resources," he said.

Paje said the classification of caves would serve as a guide in identifying strategies to protect, conserve and manage the resources within and around them.

The DENR categorizes caves in three classes.

Class I caves are those with "delicate and fragile geological formations, threatened species, archaeological and paleontological values and extremely hazardous conditions."

Only activities for mapping, photography, educational and scientific purposes are allowed in these caves. Included in the list of Class I caves are two segments of the Capisaan Cave System in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, and the Kwebang Puti in Cavinti, Laguna.

Sumaguing  Sagada Cave

On the other hand, Class II caves have "hazardous conditions and contain sensitive geological, archaeological, cultural, historical and biological values or high-quality ecosystems."

Such caves are open to experienced spelunkers or caving enthusiasts and guided visits, although some portions may be closed seasonally or permanently for conservation purposes. Callao Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan, and Bat Cave on Boracay Island are examples.

Class III caves are "generally safe" for inexperienced visitors, with no known threatened species living in them, nor any archaeological, geological, historical or cultural values.

Economic activities, such as the collection of guano and edible birds' nest, are allowed in these caves. Examples of these are the Bat Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan, Crystal Cave on Boracay Island and  Bandera Caves in on the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte.

The 158 caves classified by the DENR are spread out across all regions in the country, except Metro Manila and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Western Visayas has the highest number of total assessed caves at 41, followed by the Ilocos Region, with 25. Pangasinan province has 18 caves, the biggest number in the country, followed by Iloilo with 17.

Cave classification is a process undertaken by the DENR's Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB).

Once classified, a management plan is prepared for each cave to consider all ecotourism, scientific, educational and economic activities, as well as monitoring and reclassification, in those areas.

Palawan Subterranean Underground River Cave 

The PAWB has recorded at least 1,756 caves since the implementation of the DENR's Caves Management and Conservation Program in 1994.

Under the National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act, people are prohibited from "knowingly destroying, disturbing, defacing, marring, altering, removing, or harming" rock and mineral formations in caves, or disturbing the animal and plant life in them.

They are also prohibited from "gathering, collecting, possessing, consuming, selling, bartering or exchanging or offering for sale without authority any, cave resources."

Violators face imprisonment of up to six years or a fine of up to ₱500,000, or both. A tougher penalty—up to eight years in prison or a fine of up to ₱1 million pesos, or both—will be meted out to "the person furnishing the capital to accomplish the acts."

12 caves in Davao placed under protection

Twelve caves in various parts of Davao Region have been placed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under its list of protected caves to spare from further exploitation.

Sagada Cave

Across the country, DENR listed a total of 158 caves classified as protected areas with varying levels of protection classifications.

The order was by virtue of DENR Memorandum Circular no. 2012-03 dated October 30 in pursuant to Republic Act No. 9072 otherwise known as the National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act.

Of the 12 caves that have been considered as protected areas, seven of which are located in the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos).

The caves that are declared protected areas with their location and respective levels of classification includes:

• Okbot Cave - class II - located in Barangay Suaon, Kapalong
• Alena Cave - Class II - located in Barangay Suaon, Kapalong
• Kapunit Cave - Class I - located in Barangay Suaon, Kapalong
• Kambat Cav - Class III - located in Barangay Suaon, Kapalong
• Mangitngit Cave - Class I, in Barangay Igangon, San Isidro;
• Tamburong Cave -- Class II
• Bandera I and II Caves -- Class III located in Barangay Bandera, Igacos;
• Manan-ao Cave -- Class II located in Barangay Bandera, Igacos;  
• Sion Bat Cave -- Class Class II - located in Barangay Sion in Igacos
• Langgasakan Cave -- Class III - located in Barangay Sion in Igacos
• Baga Cave -- Class II in barangay Sta. Cruz, Talikud Island in Igacos.

Any activities including for economical purposes such as extraction of guano and edible birds' nest are allowed in these caves.

Palawan Subterranean Underground River Cave 

"A cave management plan will be prepared for each classified cave, provided that all eco tourism, scientific, educational and economic activities, whenever allowed, must be guided by concerned DENR personnel. The said management plan shall also include monitoring and reclassification of the classified caws," DENR Secretary Ramon Paje said in the same circular.

Inquirer, Sunstar

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France IMF head Christine Lagarde will visit Philippines – role to save Euro Crisis

International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Christine Lagarde

IMF chief coming to see how PH can help

International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Christine Lagarde will visit the country this month to discuss the role of emerging economies in helping resolve global economic woes.

The IMF made the announcement as it scheduled meetings between its top official and the Philippines' key government officials. The IMF managing director will also meet the Philippine media in a press conference.

Lagarde is also expected to reiterate IMF support for the reforms being pushed by the Philippine government to accelerate the domestic economy's growth.

These reforms include higher taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, the lifting of unnecessary tax incentives for businesses, and administrative measures to shore up tax collection.

The IMF likewise supports calls to amend the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) charter with the aim of further improving its ability to manage liquidity within the economy and to supervise the country's banks.

In particular, the BSP wants to be able to trade its own bonds and have its examiners exempted from the Deposit Secrecy Law to better determine irregularities in bank transactions, among other things.

Unlike some countries visited by IMF officials, the Philippines is not expected to seek financial assistance from Legarde. The country, which has $82 billion in foreign exchange reserves, is now a creditor to the IMF.

In June, the BSP said the country was lending $1 billion to the IMF, which would use the money to help crisis-stricken economies in the euro zone.

Lagarde's visit to Manila follows her trips to other Asian countries. She went to China and India in March, and Indonesia, Japan and Thailand in July.

Lagarde is the first woman managing director of the IMF. She began her five-year term as head of the IMF in July last year following the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Prior to her stint as IMF managing director, Lagarde held various positions in the French government. She was the first woman finance minister for a G8 economy.

In 2009, the Financial Times named her best finance minister in the euro zone. In 2011, she was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 8th most powerful woman in the world.

Inquirer

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Filipino Kidnap victim in Sanaa Yemen Saved by the Police

Yemen Police Thwart Attempt to Kidnap Filipino

The Yemeni police have thwarted an attempt to kidnap a Filipino in the capital Sanaa.

Official sources said the police intercepted a car at 45th St in downtown the capital Friday and discovered the Filipino, in his 30s, was put inside the car and covered with a polestar blanket.

"The two would-be kidnappers tried to bribe the police with a lot of money and a machine gun to let them go without checking their car, but the policemen refused," the sources said.

"The car did not have a plate number . It was suspicious and later seized along with the would-be kidnappers inside it," the official said.

The Filipino, his name written like this Nar Sisco, worked for a private Yemeni company.

Several foreigners have been kidnapped in Yemen this year, most of whom by Al-Qaeda militants in south Yemen.

Tribesmen usually kidnap foreigners including tourists to pressure the government to meet special demands such as ransom, releasing detailed fellows or providing basic services.

Separately, Yemen said it has lost more than $200 million due to maritime piracy off the Gulf of Aden.

The statement was made at the meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) which was held in India recently.

Foreign minister, Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi, said the losses occurred fter warships of those patrolling the area to fight Somali pirates intercepted Yemeni fishing boats and because of attacks by pirates on fishing boats.

"The losses have remarkable impacts on Yemen's economy," he said, urging better cooperation among the association's members to protect the regional waterways.

Yemen Post

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Overseas Filipinos in Laos are Respected: Welcomes the President of the Philippines for ASEM summit

CHEERS FROM LAOS. Aquino can expect a grand welcome from Pinoys in Laos.

Filipinos in Laos to welcome Aquino ASEM Summit

 The Filipino community in Laos will give President Benigno Aquino III a 'grand welcome' on Sunday, November 4, when he arrives for the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 9 Summit) in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR).

Aquino will be attending the ASEM summit for the first time from November 5 to 6.

Philippine Ambassador to Lao PDR Maria Lumen Isleta said some members of the Filipino community, especially those who work in mining sites, travelled to Vientiane to participate in the welcome dinner for the president.

The program, which will be held at the Mekong Restaurant, will showcase performances by Filipino community members and their children in Vientiane.

"The Filipino community here actively partnered with the Embassy to prepare the program and give the President a grand welcome. Some of them have volunteered to perform onstage or help out in the reception and in ushering. They are really very much ready to roll out the welcome mat, so to speak," Isleta said.

There are 550 Filipinos in Laos, most of whom work in the education, mining, engineering, agriculture and services sectors. Some also work as consultants in international organizations such as the United Nations, Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

"Filipinos usually receive high praise from Laotians due to their professionalism, skills and general disposition at work. They are looked at as being hardworking and cheerful," Isleta said.

Aquino's dinner with the Filipino community is his first stop in Laos.

He will be attending the high-level ASEM in the next two days along with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Philippine ambassador to Laos People's Democractic Republic Maria Lumen Isleta, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and newly-swore in secretary to the Cabinet Rene Jose Almendras.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa said the ASEM trip costs P8.9 million, with the funds covering the chartered flight, accommodation, transportation, food, and equipment and telecommunications requirements of the delegation.

Rappler

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POEA Launching online appointment system exit clearance or overseas employment certificate (OEC)

Click the link below to apply OEC online

http://bmappointment.poea.gov.ph/

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) will launch tomorrow an online appointment system for "balik manggagawa" - to allow overseas Filipino workers (OFW) vacationing in the country to process documents via Internet.

POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac, in a statement, said the online appointment system is an option for vacationing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to set an appointment with POEA for the processing of their exit clearance or overseas employment certificate (OEC).

The system, according to Cacdac, was developed for the convenience of returning workers who have limited time to spend with their families during their stay in the country specially this coming holiday season.

Cacdac advised OFWs to use the appointment system which is free and available by logging on at http://bmappointment.poea.gov.ph  particularly during the peak months of March, April, May, November, December, and January when the bulk of OFWs return home for vacation.

While encouraging the use of the system, Cacdac explained that the POEA has not totally scrapped its facility for walk-in clients.

"We are just starting out with the system and we believe that OFWs without access to internet would still prefer getting their OEC the usual way without setting an appointment with us," Cacdac said.

The POEA has put up counters at its main office in Mandaluyong City, Duty Free Philippines in Parañaque City and SM Manila to accommodate those who choose to get their exit clearance at a specific date and time.

Cacdac emphasized that the documentary requirements for those using the appointment system and walk-in processing are the same: 

1) passport valid for six months from time of departure; 

2) valid working visa/work permit: 

3) proof of employment such as certificate of employment, company ID, pay slip, and other equivalent document.

Returning workers have to pay ₱100 for POEA processing fee; $25 or its peso equivalent for OWWA contribution on a per contract coverage; ₱1,200 for one year PhilHealth coverage; and a minimum of ₱100 contribution to Pag-ibig Fund, Cacdac added.

Fees Summary

• Processing Fee ₱100.00
• OWWA contribution on a per contract ($25) ₱Depending on the Value of Dollars
• PhilHealth coverage ($25) ₱1,200.00
• Pag-ibig Fund contribution ₱100.00   

An approximate total of ₱2,600.00   

Cacdac said OFWs may also get their exit clearance or OEC at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) nearest their jobsite before their departure to the Philippines, or at the POEA regional offices while they are in their respective provinces.

Click the link below to apply OEC online

http://bmappointment.poea.gov.ph/

Philippines Iinformation Agency

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Bank of America-Merrill Lynch: Philippine Peso seen to hit 30:$1 next year (2013)

CEBU, Philippines -  The peso could strengthen to the 30-level against the dollar next year as investors continue to flood emerging markets regardless of the outcome of the US elections on Tuesday, an investment bank said.

In its latest research note, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch (BofA) said it expects the peso to average 41 to a dollar by the first quarter of 2013, before appreciating further to 39.80 for the rest of the year.

BofA's forecasts are stronger than the government's official assumption of 42-45 next year. The peso closed at 41.18 on Wednesday, the last trading day before the holidays.

A strong peso, while making imports cheaper, also makes export products expensive abroad, possibly denting demand. It also trims the value of remittances from overseas Filipinos.

"In our view, there is still further upside to EMFX (emerging market foreign exchange) in the near term. PMI data has been decent for September following the US Fed meeting, and we think investors will continue to push currencies higher as they await further confirmation of improved activity," BofA explained.

The US, considered as investors' safe haven, has been struggling to boost growth four years after the global financial crisis. Its central bank, the US Federal Reserve, said on September it is embarking on a third round of bond-buying program meant to flood the economy with cash to boost demand and growth.

The Fed announcement came after US manufacturing activity hit 51.5 in the purchasing managers' index (PMI) in September, similar from August. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

A strong US manufacturing performance signals economic recovery for the world superpower and thus, should drive investors to invest in risky assets such as the peso.

The outcome of the US elections will also only have "neutral" effect to emerging market currencies like the peso, which BofA expects to trade at an average of 42 this quarter.

"Market pricing of an Obama victory is mild USD (US dollar) negative. (Mitt) Romney victory, USD positive," it said.

This indicated that the market may view a re-election of US President Barack Obama positively, giving them confidence to acquire risky assets and thus lowering the dollar's value. In contrast, a Romney victory is predicted to drive investors to safe havens like the dollar, contributing to its appreciation.

"Both a Romney win and Great Rotation pose upside risks to US rates. Historical evidence suggests this would be bearish for EM rates but neutral for EMFX overall – though with significant differentiation within it," BofA said.

In an effort to tame the peso's appreciation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) slashed its policy rates by another 25 basis points last Oct. 25, bringing them to new record-lows of 3.5 percent and 5.5 percent for overnight borrowing and lending, respectively.

BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said last Monday the central bank is looking at using its macroprudential measures to manage capital flows which drive the peso to strengthen. These measures include tweaking the bank reserve requirements, real estate exposure ceilings and single borrower's limit, among others.

PhilSTAR 

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Philippines, Indonesia drive wedge between India, Asean

India is mulling suspension of negotiations on services and investment with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). In a meeting of Commerce and Industry Ministry on Friday, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma has concluded that the options with India are limited given the non-cooperation from certain members of Asean like Philippines and Indonesia.

In a note approved by the Ministry on Friday, it has said that India's trade with Asean is growing at a healthy pace with a CAGR of 42 per cent achieved over the last two years. Exports to Asean have doubled from $18 billion in 2009-2010 to over $36 billion in 2011-2012, while imports have registered a growth of 28 per cent growing from $25.7 billion to $42.5 billion.

Given the background India would have expected a better services offer from all Asean members, but it looks that Philippines and Indonesia are not inclined. In addition, our position on investment also remains far apart, the note further added.

In view of this, the Ministry argued that options with India are limited. As a first option, the Ministry has suggested a suspension of negotiations on services and investment and resume these at a later date.

In another option, it has said that it can also mull concluding the services agreement on the basis of existing offers and conclude separate agreement with eight Asean member States and separate ones with Philippines and Indonesia. Third option could be to restrict the investment agreement to only an Investment Promotion Agreement given the wide divergence in positions on investments.

The India-Asean summit is set to start on November 19. A Prime Minister headed panel on trade-related issues on Friday directed the ministry officials to conclude agreement for further opening of commerce with the Asean before the summit. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who will be attending the summit in Cambodia, sought an update from Trade and Economic Relations Committee on the progress of the talks with Asean to widen the existing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) beyond goods to investment and services. Services are of importance to India as they contribute over 55 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

After implementing FTA in goods in 2010, India and the 10-nation bloc are engaged in negotiations to widen the pact. India wants service sector to be liberalised by removal of all the non-tariff barriers.

The Pioneer 

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Philippines attempts to Take Over Pakistan Port, victory of portion; leadership

The structure of the PICT board of directors has undergone a significant change in the last board meeting, held on October 19, 2012. 4 out of the 7 members of the board now belong to ICTSIML. ICTSI – Philippines the parent company of ICTSIML – currently owns 24 marine terminals and port projects in 17 countries with $3 billion market Capitalization.

Philippines operator fails to get more than 35% stake in PICT

KARACHI: In corporate democracy, every vote counts. In all possibility, even small shareholders can thwart strategic decisions taken in corporate boardrooms.

This is precisely what appears to have happened in the recent acquisition of a majority stake in Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) by Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services Inc Mauritius Limited (ICTSIML).

Established by the Marine Group of Companies, PICT is a dedicated container cargo terminal located at the Karachi port with a maximum handling capacity of 750,000 twenty-foot equivalent units.

Besides attempting to acquire up to a 35% stake in PICT under its definitive Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with major shareholders, ICTSIML had initially also set out to buy up to 20% shares from the stock market through a tender offer, which remained effective from August 10 to October 10.

However, ICTSIML could only manage to acquire between 5-6% shares through the tender offer, PICT Company Secretary Arsalan I Khan told The Express Tribune in an interview.

PICT's free-floating shares – which are owned by mutual funds, institutional investors and small shareholders – originally consisted of roughly 32% of the company's total shares. After the conclusion of ICTSIML's offer to purchase ordinary shares at a price of Rs150 per share, approximately 26% shares of the company still remain on the stock market.

The Marine Group owned 47% shares in PICT before it signed the SPA with ICTSIML. Subsequently, its stake in the company has fallen and now stands at 32%.The Jahangir Siddiqui Group is another major shareholder in PICT. It sold almost two-thirds of its stake under the SPA. Its post-SPA shareholding in PICT is 7%.

Although the terms agreed upon in the SPA allowed ICTSIML to buy up to 35% shares from major stakeholders, the Philippines-based company settled on acquiring only 29% of the company's shares. After the purchase of up to 6% shares under the tender offer from the stock market, ICTSIML's present stake in PICT is around 35%, which makes it the company's single largest shareholder.

The structure of the PICT board of directors has undergone a significant change in the last board meeting, held on October 19. Four out of the seven members of the board now belong to ICTSIML. Two directors from the Marine Group and one from the JS Group complete the count.

Profitable holding

PICT's profit-after-tax increased to Rs390.8 million (₱167.8 Million PHP) in the quarter that ended on September 30, compared to Rs318.1 million earned in the corresponding quarter in 2011, showing an increase of 22.8%.

"PICT is a mature company with solid cash flows and improving earnings. Therefore, the small investor is holding onto his shares. He is apparently looking forward to either dividends or share price appreciation," PICT Director Aasim A Siddiqui said while speaking to The Express Tribune.

With a market capitalization of over $3 billion, ICTSI – the parent company of ICTSIML – currently owns 24 marine terminals and port projects in 17 countries. PICT is the third biggest port terminal that the ICTSI partially owns, in terms of annual volume turnover.

"This proves that it's a major investment for our foreign partner. Small shareholders know that ICTSI has the ability to attract global shipping companies," Siddiqui said.

The Express Tribune

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Philippines Struggling to control the impact of Boosting Economy

The Philippines was one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in Asia next to Japan in the 1950s before it lost its way to become heavily reliant in recent years on debt as other economies in Asia jumped ahead.

Philippines grapples with cost of economic success

 

Reforms pushed through by President Benigno Aquino have put the Philippines back on the map for international investors but authorities are struggling to control an inflow of capital that has pushed up the currency and threatens asset price bubbles.

 

The central bank cut interest rates last week to deter hot money but economists say inflows will remain a problem, especially with the U.S. Federal Reserve pumping money into its struggling economy, some of which will spill into attractive emerging markets.

 

Other Asian countries are trying to control capital inflows too as they provide an oasis of resilience at a time when the European debt crisis is dragging heavily on the global economy.

 

Singapore and Hong Kong, major destinations for foreign investors, have introduced property curbs to prevent their real estate sectors from overheating. By some measures, the Philippines has more reason to be worried though, as investors show an enthusiastic response to the president's attempts to turn around an economy long considered the "sick man" of Asia.

 

The peso is the strongest emerging market currency in Asia this year as foreign direct investment has more than doubled. The country's main stock index is up nearly 25 percent this year, a standout performance against other emerging markets, and in dollar terms it is the strongest in Asia.

 

On Tuesday, Amando Tetangco, the governor of the central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), said the monetary authorities needed to be more "creative" in managing inflows of capital and could not rely on interest rate differentials alone.

 

Few expect that to mean any move towards capital controls, especially when the Philippines is an active issuer of sovereign debt in global markets.

 

Instead, the central bank could simply be signaling a pause in monetary loosening after cuts totaling 1 percentage point brought the policy rate to a record low of 3.5 percent this year.

 

"The BSP will be looking at using a suite of tools in combination rather than one tool, given the multitude of risks and the complexity of managing it," said Vishnu Varathan, an economist at Mizuho Corporate Bank in Singapore.

 

He said the central bank could impose different reserve requirements for assets in foreign and local currencies, for example, and it might allow the peso to appreciate further to dampen the value of Philippine assets in dollar terms.

 

However, it will have to tread carefully: a rise in the currency makes Philippine exports expensive and reduces the local value of the remittances from overseas Filipinos -- a tenth of the population -- that millions of people rely on back home and which underpin domestic consumption.

 

Jose Mario Cuyegkeng, an economist at ING Bank in Manila, said the BSP might want tighter limits on banks' real estate loans or higher capital adequacy ratios to reduce speculative activity, but he did not rule out further interest rate cuts.

 

With inflation expected to remain on target through 2014, the central bank can be flexible with monetary policy, analysts said.

 

MEASURES

 

In August, the central bank said it would tighten rules on banks' real estate exposure to address the financial system's vulnerability to asset bubbles. Housing loans surged to their highest in four years at the end of June.

 

The central bank has said it was considering new liquidity ratio requirements for banks under international Basel III rules. It has already set a capital adequacy ratio for banks at 10 percent, above a requirement of 8 percent under Basel II.

 

Radhika Rao, an economist at Forecast PTE, said the BSP may further ease rates on its short-term special deposit account (SDA) window that had attracted record inflows of nearly 2 trillion pesos ($48 billion) as of October.

 

The facility offers rates higher than short-term Treasury bills, with the seven-day term paying 3.53125 percent against just 0.3 percent for the 91-day bill in the secondary market.

 

In July, the BSP started lowering rates on SDAs after tightening access to the facility to ensure it remained closed to foreign investors.

 

Analysts generally rule out capital controls because such drastic measures could push investors elsewhere.

 

"It will dampen the interest of investors coming in and it will also cut capital inflows, especially for much-needed projects that the government has for infrastructure," Roland Avante, head of the Philippine Business Bank, told local TV.

 

SUCCESS

 

The economy's improvement has also been recognized by ratings agencies. On Monday, Moody's Investors Service raised its credit rating for the Philippines to match that of rivals Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings.

 

They all now rate the country just one notch below investment grade, a level that would attract further inflows from funds mandated to invest in top-rated assets only.

 

The Philippines was one of the wealthiest nations in Asia in the 1950s before it lost its way to become heavily reliant in recent years on debt as other economies in Asia jumped ahead.

 

The ratings moves are an endorsement of Aquino's efforts to narrow the budget deficit and deal with other perennial problems; corruption and tax dodging, weak infrastructure and a lack of investment in social services in a country where a third of the population live below the poverty line.

 

His reforms have underpinned a rise of 6 percent in the peso this year. The stock market .PSI has risen by nearly a quarter, a big gain compared with a 9 percent increase in the MSCI emerging markets index .MSCIEF.

 

Foreign direct investment nearly doubled in the first seven months of the year to $1.03 billion, well on track to eclipse the 2011 total of $1.3 billion. Much of the success has come from business process outsourcing firms attracted by low costs.

 

When Aquino assumed power in 2010, net portfolio inflows into the Philippines surged more than three times and were the highest in Southeast Asia after Thailand. The flow slowed in 2011 because of global uncertainties but have shown signs of recovery in the third quarter of this year.

 

Reuters 

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Philippines modeled the “People power” to the world in 1986: copied by Arab Spring; Mindanao “peace pact” could be the next Model?

Mindanao Peace Pact. Photo credit: Rappler.com 

War In Philippines Looks Set To End

 

More or less at opposite ends of the world, two very long wars are coming to a negotiated end, with no victors and no vanquished. In the Philippines, President Benigno Aquino signed a peace agreement with the leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on 16 October after more than 40 years of war. In Norway the next day, Colombia's government began talks with the FARC rebels to end a war that has lasted for over 50 years.

 

Neither deal is yet complete, and in both wars there have been several previous peace deals that failed. But the omens are better this time, mainly because there is a lot more realism about what is possible and what is not.

 

"You can't just ask the FARC to kneel down, surrender and give us the arms," said the Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, as the talks in Oslo began. "They will not do that, so there has to be some way out, and this way out has to be that you are able to participate in the political arena. This is the way any conflict is settled, not only the Colombian conflict."

 

There are two reasons why there is more hope for this peace initiative than for its predecessors. The first is that FARC can no longer hope for an eventual victory, although it will be a crippling nuisance for another generation if it is not brought back into the political system. The other is that the two sides are not trying to solve all the country's problems in these talks; they are just trying to end the fighting.

 

The talks, which will move to Cuba for the next round, deal with only five topics: rural development, FARC's participation in democratic politics, an end to the fighting, an end to the drug trafficking, and justice for the many civilian victims of the war. Colombia has dozens of other issues that demand attention, but if you put them all on the table there will never be agreement.

 

Those other issues can and should be settled by the normal political process, in which FARC will play a legitimate part once the war is over.

 

There will have to be an amnesty even for grave violations of human rights. Nor will the fighting stop during the negotiations: that is what provides the pressure for a deal. But this time, in the end, there will probably be a deal.

 

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the long war between the central government and the Muslim minority on the big island of Mindanao is also heading for a peaceful resolution.

 

It has been clear for some time that MILF could never achieve its goal of an independent Muslim state in western Mindanao – and it is also clear that MILF could go on fighting for another generation unless there is a deal.

 

So you might as well make a deal, and the only plausible one is that the Moros (Filipino Muslims) get a broad degree of self-government in the areas where they are the majority.

 

There will be a referendum in 2015 to settle the size and shape of the new "Bangsamoro" region, but it will remain part of the Philippines, and Manila will retain control of defence, foreign policy, and the broad outlines of economic policy.

 

So two wars down (probably), and how many more to go? No more than a dozen or so of comparable scale, most of them in Africa and the Middle East.

 

And whether they are internal wars like Colombia and the Philippines or wars between local nationalists and foreign occupiers, they tend to end the same way.

 

There are exceptions, of course, like the Sri Lankan government's recent victory over the Tamil Tigers, but in most cases the wars get closed down when both sides recognise that a decisive victory is impossible. Or rather, they get shut down when the participants finally recognise what has already been plain to most outsiders for decades.

 

The extra time is required because the people directly involved have already paid such a price for that elusive victory that they just cannot bear to admit to themselves that their sacrifices were wasted. Does this have any relevance to the horrors that are now unfolding in Syria? A great deal, I'm sorry to say

 

The Star 

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Culture: Million of Filipinos reuniting and partying with the dead in tombs and graves

Millions across Philippines visit their dead

 

Millions across the Philippines visited cemeteries Thursday to pay respects to their dead, in an annual tradition that combines Catholic religious rites with the country's penchant for festivity.

 

At Manila's Loyola Memorial Park, one of the city's biggest private cemeteries, families had camped overnight, pitched up tents and brought in food for a day-long All Saint's Day picnic by the graves and tombs of their dead.

 

In crowded public cemeteries elsewhere across the city of 15 million, police confiscated alcoholic beverages and banned gambling to maintain peace and order.

 

Hundreds of medics and volunteers also set up field clinics to provide medical assistance. Radio reports said many had fainted due to the extreme heat in densely packed cemeteries.

 

"This occasion serves as our family reunion," said Fely de Leon, a retired 80-year-old businesswoman as she laid out an assortment of food on small tables around the plots of her late father and brother.

 

"We will be here for the rest of the day, and we expect more or less 30 family members to arrive."

 

Nearby, loud music blared from a portable karaoke machine -- singing is a national past time -- as a family ignored appeals from the Catholic church to keep the occasion solemn.

 

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) meanwhile warned the public against fake priests roaming the cemeteries and reciting prayers for unsuspecting families in exchange for monetary donations.

 

And for millions of Catholic Filipinos overseas who could not come home to visit their dead, the CBCP said it had put up a special portal (www.undasonline.com ) where they could log on and request special prayers and masses.

 

The site also offers podcasts on the significance and liturgical meanings of All Saint's Day, it said.

 

MSN

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Philippines offers ₱10.3 Million Aid for victims of Superstorm Sandy in the United States

This photo provided by 6abc Action News shows the Inlet section of Atlantic City, New Jersey, as Hurricane Sandy makes it approach, Monday. AP/6abc Action News 

The Philippine government has offered ₱10.3 Million ($250,000 USD) to help the victims of Superstorm Sandy which wreaked havoc in the US east coast.

 

"Thank you government of the Philippines which will donate ₱10.3 Million ($250,000 USD) to the American Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. True partners and friends!," US Ambassador Harry Thomas said in his official Twitter account late Wednesday.

 

Sandy, the worst storm to hit the US region, has claimed more than 60 lives and left billions of dollars in damages.

 

The Philippine embassy in Washington in a statement urged Filipino victims of the super storm to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions as the dangers posed by the disaster were not over.

 

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia noted that although Sandy weakened since making landfall Monday evening, the "on-going disaster" continued to bring rains and strong winds that could pose serious threats to populated areas while making its way towards Canada in the next two days.

 

"We would like to remind our kababayans, particularly those in New Jersey and New York, to remain in their homes until such time that authorities say that it is safe for them to venture out," Cuisia said, warning that affected populations face risks from flood waters and downed trees and power lines.

 

He added that members of the Filipino Community in the affected areas should wait until basic services such as power and transport had been restored before leaving the safety of their homes.

 

The embassy and the Philippine Consulate General in New York also said they did not receive any reports of Filipino casualties in the region, but that an undetermined number of Filipinos were evacuated in Atlantic City, Jersey City, New Milford and other areas in New Jersey as well as in City Island and Staten Island in New York due to flood waters.

 

Consul General Mario de Leon, meanwhile, noted that reports from the leaders of the Filipino community also indicated that a large number of Filipinos were among the 8.5 million people in 13 states that suffered from power outages.

 

He said there were also reports several Filipinos sustained some damage to their homes in Nassau and Queens Counties in New York as well as in Hamden and Stamford in Connecticut as a result of violent winds and storm surges.

 

In Connecticut and Long Island, some Filipinos were also reported to be running low on potable water while many others in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, had no internet, telephone or cellular phone connectivity, said De Leon.

 

The embassy and the Consulate General in New York said they continued to monitor the situation on a 24-hour-basis and had placed teams on standby to assist Filipinos.  The two posts also remained in touch with leaders of the Filipino community in the affected areas.

 

The Philippine Consulate General in Chicago headed by Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim has also urged the Filipinos in Ohio and Michigan to make the necessary preparations as the storm continues to move towards the Great Lakes region and Canada.

 

Inquirer 

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